The inventive concept relates generally to data storage systems. More particularly, certain embodiments of the inventive concept relate to data storage systems capable of analyzing a non-signal using a protocol analyzer, while other embodiments of the inventive concept relate to non-signal analyzing methods.
Data storage systems come in a myriad of configurations, but generally include a host and a storage device. In this context, a “storage device” may be understood as a semiconductor memory device, an arrangement of multiple semiconductor memory devices, a peripheral device, and the like. The two principal components of a data storage system, the host and storage device, may be electrically connected using a variety of standardized and/or custom interfaces.
Standardized interfaces commonly used to connect contemporary hosts with a variety of storage devices include, the serial ATA (SATA), universal flash storage (UFS), small computer small interface (SCSI), serial attached SCSI (SAS), embedded multimedia (eMMC), universal serial bus (USB) 3.0, FC, UHS-II, Light-peak, and the like. In this context, the term “standardized interface” denotes the hardware used to implement the mechanical and/or electrical interconnections between a host and storage device, and/or at least one data communication protocol that define the commands, instructions, timing, signal exchanges, and data structures enabling a transfer of data between the host and storage device.
The conventionally understood SATA interface may be an advanced ATA interface that enables serial data transmissions between a host and storage device. In many important applications, serial data transmission schemes are preferred over analogous parallel transmission schemes. Thus, the SATA interface may be used to connect a host and storage device in accordance with an established ATA command set and using as few as a single signal line to communicate data, addresses, and/or control signals. In various configurations, the SATA interface enables high-speed data transmission using a relatively high clock frequency.
The SATA interface may be understood as consisting of a data segment and a power segment. The data segment includes one or more signal lines configured to communicate data (hereafter, “data lines”) between the host and storage device. The data segment might alternately be referred to as a “signal segment”. In one particular configuration, a data segment includes designated TXP, TXN, RXP, and RXN data lines. The power segment includes one or more signal lines configured to communicate power (hereafter, “power lines”) between the host and storage device. Power may be provided at various levels, such as, for example, 1.5, 3.0V, and/or 6.0V.
In addition to various power signals, the power segment may be used to communicate a so-called “non-signal”. A non-signal might be used, for example to manage power status (e.g., a device sleep, hibernation or power-off signal) for the host and/or storage device. A non-signal might serve as a particular type of data signal or control signal that is communicated outside the data segment of the SATA interface. Non-signal(s) may sometimes be referred to as side signal(s).